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Arm Workouts: The Top 10 Arm Moves

Individually, these biceps, triceps, and shoulder toners will amp up your regular arm workout. Done in a sequence a couple times a week, they'll leave you with sculpted, toned arms you'll be itching to show off.

Chair Dips

Hands-down, these are the best moves I know to work the entire backs of my arms. Confession: I have done them in airports to burn off nervous travel energy, at home to prep for a no-good phone call, and once in my cubicle. (Chair had wheels: Bad scene.)

Do it:

Sit on the edge of the chair with your feet together.

Place your hands on the seat on either side of your thighs and keep your feet flat on the floor.

The Cobra

If you carry your stress between your shoulder blades like I do, this move may feel tweaky and, well, unpleasant for the first two reps or so. By the fifth, though, I always feel wrung out — and by the 10th, the space between my shoulder blades feels wide open (and I'm less snarly).

Do it:

Lie facedown on the floor with your palms near your chest.

Lift your head, shoulders, and chest off the floor, pulling your shoulder blades down and together. Stay here for two counts and then lower down.

Push-Up on a Ball

Once you nail the whole balancing-on-a-teetering-object thing, the actual push-up part of this exercise feels like a triumph. (Note: If you've had knee joint or nearby ligament injuries in the past, don't let the ball rest directly on your kneecaps — the pressure plus lack of stability flares mine up if I'm not careful.)

Do it:

Lie with your abdomen on an exercise ball and walk your hands forward on the floor until the ball rests under your thighs.

Pull your navel in toward your spine, bending your elbows.

Lower your upper body to the floor. Hold this position for three seconds, and then push up so your elbows are straight, but not locked. Keep your head in line with your spine and your abs engaged.

Start with 5 reps, working up to 15. Once you've mastered 15 reps, rest for one minute and then do a second set.

Hover Rotation

This move only sounds like you need coordination to do it well. Its multiple simple steps are done in slow progression, so you have time to process each one (and not get frazzled by the "What's next?" factor).

Traveling Power Squat

I won't lie: It took me a bit to get my arms and legs synchronized to make this move work, and I nearly knocked out my dog in the process. Now that I don't flail like a nimrod as I jump, the fronts of my arms and tops of my thighs sear when I do it for more than 45 seconds.

Do it:

Stand holding a 5- or 8-pound dumbbell horizontally in front of your ribcage with both hands.

Lower your hips into a squat and hold for two seconds.

Then jump, explosively, as if you're reaching over a volleyball net. As you jump, lift the dumbbell over your head, fully extending your arms.

Return the weight immediately back to your ribcage at the bottom of the jump.